The Massachusetts Spy

[From the Rhode-Island American, of March 29.]

INTERESTING TRIAL.

In justice to the Religious Society of Friends, we insert the following Sketch of the trial of sundry individuals before the Massachusetts Court of Common Pleas at Ipswich, indicted for riotous and disorderly conduct at meetings of the Society of Friends in Lynn. We are happy to learn that the great body of the Friends in the United States are united in one faith and discipline. This fact may be inferred from a statement in the National Gazette, that "of five hundred meetings of the denomination in this country, there is but one in which a difficulty has arisen."

From the Essex Register, of Wednesday last.

TRIAL OF THE QUAKERS.*

By the obliging attention of a gentleman of the bar, and a little extra exertion on our part, we are enabled to present to our readers this morning, the following sketch of the trial, occasioned by the recent disturbances among the Friends at Lynn, which was concluded at Ipswich late last evening:

Yesterday morning the indictment against John Alley, Jonathan Buffum, Preserved Sprague, and Benjamin Shaw, came on for trial before his Honor Judge Howe, of the Court of Common Pleas, at Ipswich. The defendants were indicted in several counts, for a riot; for a disturbance of publick worship, at common law; or rude and indecent behaviour at a publick meeting; and for a conspiracy to disturb the meeting—all committed at Lynn on the 14th and 17th of February last, and at meetings of the Society of Friends holden on those days.

When the prisoners were arraigned, Buffum, Shaw, and Sprague, pleaded Not Guilty; when the Clerk put that question to Alley, he replied with energy, "I'm Guilty, and I'm Not Guilty." The Clerk again asked him the question, and Alley made the same reply, adding that he could not make any other plea, and that it took two to make one. His plea of Not Guilty was then recorded. Before the trial commenced, the County Attorney entered a Nol. Pros. as to Alley, who was deemed to be insane, from his appearance, as well as from the concurrent assurances of physicians, friends and neighbours. The other three were then put upon their trial.

Neither our limits nor the late hour at which the trial was finished will enable us to give any more than a very hasty sketch of this interesting and important trial.

The case was opened for the Commonwealth, and the grounds of the prosecution stated with great clearness and ability, by Benjamin Merrill, Esq. who assisted the County Attorney, J. Pickering, Esq. in conducting the trial.

In the course of the examination, it appeared that the defendants have for some time been in the habit of sitting on the "high seats," or as they are now called, the "Ministers' Gallery," at the Friends' meetings. This is considered disorderly conduct among the Friends,

* Let it be observed, that Jonathan Buffum, Preserved Sprague, and Benjamin Shaw, were disowned by the Society previous to the disturbances.
those seats being appropriated, as the whole current of testimony on both sides showed, to ministers, elders, overseers, and aged and venerable persons, who are invited to sit there—other persons sit there only on particular occasions, when the house is crowded, &c. The defendants have also been in the habit of speaking in the meetings, much to the dissatisfaction of the audience, and it was very manifest that their words were not always "fitly spoken." This practice also was proved to be contrary to the rules and orders of the Society—but the offence charged against the defendants consisted mainly in taking the Ministers' seats, and occupying them wrongfully. On the 14th of February, at a meeting for business, this disorder was repeated, which constitutes one of the offences charged in the indictment. The overseers of the Society met for the purpose of devising measures to prevent the like disturbances in future.—On the morning of the 17th, Sabbath day, the defendants were severally warned and cautioned not to take the Ministers' seats, and the overseers who waited on them, endeavoured to convince them of the impropriety of such conduct. The warning was in writing, and contained the reasons of the course they were pursuing, among which was some profane and opprobrious language, which one of the defendants had uttered in meeting, and who declared to the overseer who warned him, "we'll be as strong as you."— At the usual time of meeting on the morning of the 17th, it appeared that John Alley came in with a sword girded by his side, attended by Jonathan Buffum, and made his way towards the high seats—he was stopped by one of the overseers, and after considerable struggling and disturbance the sword was taken from him by cutting the belt. The cry of "let him alone," was set up and repeated by his adherents, and the high seats were in fact occupied by the defendants and one Daniel B. Alley, who is not indicted—the defendants occupied those seats during the forenoon service, and no other disturbance was stated to have taken place. In the afternoon the defendants took the same seats; Buffum declaring to the overseer, who again requested him to sit on the floor seats, that he "would take a seat where he pleased."—After they were all seated, Isaac Basset, one of the overseers, addressed them, stating that they had had time to reflect on what they were about, and desired them to come down from those seats. No one replied, except Buffum, who bid the overseer sit down, as he was disturbing the meeting.—Friend Basset then addressed the meeting, saying that the overseers had found it necessary to make a stand against the proceedings of the defendants, and requested all present to remain silent and keep their places, except such as should be called upon. He then requested three Friends, by name, to take Benjamin Shaw and remove him from the meeting as quietly as possible, and keep him safely till further measures could be taken respecting him—then requested three others to take John Alley and carry him out in like manner: When the Friends took hold of Alley, Buffum interposed, and took hold of his arm, saying, "let this man alone." As soon as they were brought down to the floor, there was a great crowd from the seats pressing into the aisle and interposing between the persons who were taking out the defendants and the door—some crying, "this is too bad," and some, among whom was Preserved Sprague, laying hold of the clothes of the carriers, and forcibly holding them back, and endeavouring to prevent them from carrying the men out. They were, however, all taken out of the meeting, and detained at the neighbouring houses: after which the meeting was resumed and continued quiet. Much evidence was also introduced on the part of the prosecution, showing that the uniform practice among the Friends, not only in this State but in several others, is to appropriate the high seats as they have been at Lynn. The defence which was set up by L. Saltonstall and D. Cummins, Esqrs. consisted of evidence of insanity, so far as respects Benjamin Shaw, and as to the others, a denial of the existence of any such usage as the Commonwealth's counsel had attempted to prove. Several respectable witnesses were called, who testified to facts tending strongly to show a want of reason in Shaw; especially a very striking change of behaviour from that of a retired, inoffensive, and reserved person, to that of a violent, and in some instances, abusive member of the Society. The evidence in support of the right of the defendants to occupy the high seats, seemed to prove only, that under certain circumstances, those seats have been used by persons who are not Ministers, &c. but generally the reasons for this use, were such as confirmed the rule, as stated by the Commonwealth's witnesses. No imputation seemed to be against either of the defendants' character previous to the disturbance in the Friends' Meetings. Many points of law were raised and advocated by the defendants' counsel, with much learning and ingenuity, but as the Court intimated very decisively that they were not tenable, they were, with a candour and liberality honourable to the learned counsel abandoned—and after a full hearing of the evidence, the cause was left to the Jury, under the charge of the Court, without argument on either side. After a very luminous statement of the facts and principles of law on which the cause depended, delivered by his Honour Judge Howe, the Jury retired, and in about two hours returned with a verdict of Guilty, on all the counts, against Jonathan Buffum and Preserved Sprague, and acquittal of Benjamin Shaw, by reason of insanity. Thus this prosecution is brought, we hope, to a full and final close: and it is devoutly to be desired that all disturbance and animosity among the very respectable and exemplary Society of Friends, will cease with it. By means of this public examination, the true state of the case is doubtless more fully and exactly ascertained by the community at large than it could have been in any other form; and we cannot but think it will confirm the opinion which has generally prevailed of the strict attention to order and decorum which has characterized this denomination of Christians. If there exists a difference of opinion among them, it is not for us at this time to discuss and decide upon the comparative merits of the respective parties, but on whichever side the truth may lie, no one who heard the trial yesterday can hesitate to say, that the conduct of the defendants in the cause was the result of delusion, and wholly inconsistent with the pure and peaceable spirit of the gospel, however free they may have been from any direct and positive intention to offend.